Device for removing draft gear

ABSTRACT

Device for removing railroad car draft gear-yoke assemblies in which the yoke is broken or cracked, wherein the device comprises a frame including a rigid elongate base having a pair of upstanding arms, one of which is rigid with the base and the other of which is swingably mounted to move its upstanding end toward the rigid arm under the action of the hydraulic ram carried by the base. After the draft gear carrier iron, coupler, and its key or keying pin are removed, the device is lifted up against the draft gear-yoke assembly, with the rigid arm positioned against the yoke inner end and the swingable arm adjacent a block of metal disposed in the yoke outer open end adjacent the draft gear front follower. The ram is then actuated to compress the draft gear between the block and yoke inner ends so as to free it from the draft gear pocket front stops, after which the draft gear and yoke may be lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit.

United States Patent 1 Peterson July 10, 1973 DEVICE FOR REMOVING DRAFT GEAR Bertil E. Peterson, Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Cardwell Westinghouse Company,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: May 7, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 141,150

[75] Inventor:

10/1960 Peterson 29/261 Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant ExaminerJ. C. Peters Att0meyMann, Brown, McWilliam & Bradway [57] ABSTRACT Device for removing railroad car draft gear-yoke assemblies in which the yoke is broken or cracked, wherein the device comprises a frame including a rigid elongate base having a pair of upstanding arms, one of which is rigid with the base and the other of which is swingably mounted to move its upstanding end toward the rigid arm under the action of the hydraulic ram carried by the base. After the draft gear carrier iron, coupler, and its key or keying pin are removed, the device is lifted up against the draft gear-yoke assembly, with the rigid arm positioned against the yoke inner end and the swingable arm adjacent a block of metal disposed in the yoke outer open end adjacent the draft gear front follower. The ram is then actuated to compress the draft gear between the block and yoke inner ends so as to free it from the draft gear pocket front stops, after which the draft gear and yoke may be lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIED UL 1 mm sum 1 or 2 INVENTOR BERT/L E. PETERSON ATT'YS DEVICE FOR REMOVING DRAFT GEAR This invention relates to a device for removing draft gear-yoke assemblies from railroad car draft gear pockets, and more particularly, to a device for removing railroad car draft. gear from the car when the yoke is broken. The method aspects of this invention are covered by the applicants divisional application Ser. No. 274,2l5, filed July 24, 1972.

My U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,853,774 and 2,956,336 disclose a method and devices for removing draft gear from railroad car draft gear pockets in which a jack device of a special type is interposed between the yoke draft key receiving front arms and the draft gear front follower (after the coupler and draft key have been removed) to compress the draft gear against the inner end of the yoke and free same from engagement with the front draft gear stops, whereby, assuming that the draft gear carrier iron has been removed, the draft gear, yoke, and jack device may be lowered from the draft gear pocket as a unit. Alternately, after the gear is compressed, a suitable wedge or block is applied between the yoke outer end and the draft gear front follower, the jack released and removed, and then the yoke and draft gear are lowered from the car as a unit.

However, when the yoke is broken, this type of device is not effective to compress the gear since the forces needed to contract the gear act in tension through the effective length of the yoke, which would only tend to separate the broken parts of the yoke.

When the yoke is broken, the problem of separating the draft gear and its yoke assembly from the draft gear pocket is very difficult since the draft gear is quite firmly held between the draft gear pocket front and rear stops by its built-in restorative forces that return the gear to neutral position after draft or buff forces have been absorbed. Experience has shown that yokes when broken usually have a fracture through one or both of their upper and lower strap portions between which the draft gear is received, and adjacent the inner end of the yoke, so that pressing the gear against the inner end of the yoke by placing theyoke in tension merely aggrevates the situation.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a device for removing draft gear-yoke assemblies from a railroad car when the yoke is broken.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a device for removing a broken yoke and draft gear from a draft gear pocket in which the inner end of the yoke may serve as a fixed abutment against which the draft gear is compressed to release same from the draft gear pocket front and rear stops.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device for compressing a draft gear mounted in a yoke by applying opposing forces against the inner end of the yoke and the outer end of the draft gear through the yoke outer end, to provide a device for applying draft gear and yoke assemblies to a draft gear pocket, and to provide a device for handling draft gear and yoke assemblies that is economical of manufacture, convenient to its upstanding end toward the rigid arm under the action of a hydraulic ram carried by the base, with the mounting arrangement of the swingable arm being such that a mechanical advantage is provided for applying the forces generated by the hydraulic ram to the draft gear. After the carrier iron, coupler and its key or keying pin have been removed, the device is lifted, by being suitably rested on elevatable forks of a fork lift truck, a scissors type jack or other suitable type of mobile jack device, up against the draft gear yoke assembly with the rigid arm of the device positioned against the yoke inner end and the swingable arm adjacent a block of suitable metal such as steel disposed in the yoke outer open end and adjacent the draft gear front follower. The ram is then actuated to compress the draft gear between the block and the yoke inner end to free the draft gear from the pocket front stops, after which the device, the draft gear, and the yoke are lowered from the draft gear pocket as'a unit. The device is equally applicable to yokes for both E and F type couplers, and may also be used to apply draft gear and yoke assemblies to draft gear pockets.

Still other objects, uses, and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal section through a railroad car draft gear pocket, showing a draft gear and yoke assembly for a type E'coupler in the process of being removed in accordance with this invention, with the normal location of the coupler being indicated in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the draft gear pocket of FIG. 1, better showing the jack device of this invention applied in operative relation to the yoke and draft gear assembly there illustrated;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the jack device of FIGS. 1 and 2, on an enlarged scale and with parts being broken away to expose other parts;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the right hand end of the device of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an end view of the left hand end of the device of FIG. 3.

However, it is to be distinctly understood that the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated is supplied primarily to comply with the disclosure'requirements of the Patent Code, and that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments that will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and which are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 generally indicates a preferred embodiment of the invention applied for removing from the draft gear pocket 12 of a conventional railroad freight car underframe 11 a draft gear and yoke assembly 14 comprising a conventional yoke 16 and a standard type draft gear 18. The draft gear pocket 12 illustrated is generally representative of the type employed in conventional railroad freight car equipment, it being defined by spaced fixed center sills 20 of the car underframe 11 which have applied thereto an inner pair of fixed stops 22 and an outer pair of fixed stops 24 between which is mounted draft gear 18 as assembled within yoke 16 for application thereto of a conventional coupler (not shown) that will rest on a conventional wear plate (not shown) applied to suitable wear plate support structure 26. A so-called carrier iron 27 or its equivalent secured between and under sills 20 where indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 1 supports the draft gear. Carrier iron 27 is fixed in place by suitable rivets or the like applied to holes 29 in sills 20, which rivets and the carrier are indicated as having been removed in the showing of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The yoke 16 illustrated is for couplers of the E type and generally comprises a pair of upper and lower strap portions 28 and 30 joined together by the yoke inner or rear end 32 and the yoke outer or forward end 34. In yokes for type E couplers, the yoke outer end is open as at 36 to receive the coupler shank, and defines spaced horizontal arms 38 and 40 that are formed with the respective slots 42 and 44 to receive the coupler key (not shown) that keys the coupler shank to the yoke; in yokes for type F couplers, the yoke outer end is also open to receive the coupler shank and is formed to receive a vertical pin (not shown) that keys the coupler shank to the yoke.

The draft gear 18 is intended to represent any conventional type'of draft gear, that shown including a housing 46 containing a suitable impact absorbing mechanism indicated at 48 which cooperates with a front follower 50. The mechanism 48 after absorbing impacts applied to the gear acts to restore the gear to neutral position and the restorative forces result in the draft gear rear end 52 being firmly seated against rear stops 22 and the front follower 50 being firmly seated against the front stops 24. The draft gear rear end 52 engages yoke inner closed end abutment surface 53 while front follower 50 would closely approach the yoke outer end abutment surfaces 55 if the draftgear is freed from stops 22 and 24, lowered away from them, and released. The yoke lower strap portion 30 normally rests on the carrier iron (which is omitted in FIG. 2).

When yoke 16 is broken, one or the other of its straps 28 and 30, or possibly both, will be fractured, as for instance where indicated by reference numeral 54 in strap portion 28.

In order to be able to remove the draft gear and yoke assembly 14 from the draft gear pocket 12, the draft gear 18 must be compressed to release it from between the front and rear stops 22 and 24. The device is especially adapted for serving this function in instances.

where the yoke 16 is found to be broken.

The device 10 generally comprises a frame 60 in the form of a rigid elongate base 62 of generally channelshaped cross-sectional configuration (see FIG. 4) having an upstanding fixed arm 64 at its end 66 and a pivotally or swingably mounted upstanding arm 68 at its end 70. Arms 64 and 68 are in substantial coplanar relation, as indicated in FIG. I.

The swingably mounted arm 68 includes an upstanding end portion 72 and a depending end portion 74, arm 68 being journaled by being received over pin 76 suitably mounted in frame end portion 70.

Mounted within the base portion 62 of frame 60 is a force supplying device, which in the form illustrated is a hydraulically actuated ram 78 including a ram member 80 (see FIG. 3) reciprocably mounted in casing 82. In the form illustrated, the ram 78 acts against the-depending end portion 74 of arm 68 to swing its upstanding end portion 72 in the direction of fixed arm 64. Arm 68 is mounted on frame 62 so as to provide a mechanical advantage in applying the forces generated by ram 78 to the draft gear for purposes of compressing same, as will now be described.

In use, after the draft key, coupler, coupler wear plate, and carrier iron are removed, the device 10 equipped with a ram 78 is suitably applied to suitable mobile jack or lifting apparatus, such as a fork lift truck, and specifically to the fork structure of same, which is suitably equipped with the extensions as may be necessary or desirable, or a scissors jack, and moved underneath the draft gear and yoke assembly to be removed from the car. By suitably operating the supporting jack or lifting device involved (not shown), the de- 1 vice 10 is moved into vertical and longitudinal alignment with the draft gear and yoke assembly to be removed, for instance assembly 14. After a block 84 of steel or the like is placed within the open end 34 of the yoke and against the draft gear front follower 50, the device 10 is elevated to position its arms 64 and 72 in the full line positions relative to the yoke that are indicated in FIG. 2, with the fixed arm 64 thus being placed in sbstantial abutting relation to exterior side of the inner end 32 of the yoke while the movable arm 68 is positioned adjacent the outer end 34 of the yoke and in close adjacency to the block 84.

The ram 78 is the actuated to bring the end 72 of swing arm 68 against block 84 which in turn presses the block 84 against the front follower of the draft gear 18; the draft gear in turn is pressed against the inner end 32 of the yoke that is restrained from movement inwardly of the car by the device fixed arm 64.

Further operation of ram 78 is continued to sufficiently compress the gear 18 so that a suitable working space appears between the front follower 50' and the front lugs or stops 24, as is suggested by the broken line showing of the front follower 50, after which the device 10 together with the yoke 16 and draft gear '18 are lowered from the car as a unit.

The movable jack type support employed may then be moved out from under the car andthe yoke and draft gear separated in the usual manner.

It is necessary to initially remove the conventional coupler wear plate from its support structure 26 to insure adequate working space for the device 10.

While the device 10 is readily usable to remove from the car draft gear-yoke assemblies in which the yoke is sound, the unit 10 is specifically designed to effect this removal where the yoke has some defect, such as the fracture 54. This is achieved by reason of the fact that only the inner end 32 of the yoke enters into the structural arrangement employed to compress the draft gear, and this part of the yoke is subjected only to compression.

The device 10 can also be employed to apply draft gear and yoke assemblies to the car, and this can be done by applying the yoke and draft gear assembly to a device 10 at, for instance, a work area adjacent the car to be equipped with the needed yoke and draft gear assembly, with the draft gear being compressed in the manner already indicated to space the front follower approximately at the broken line position of FIGS. 1 and 2, after which disposable wedges of a suitable conventional type may be applied between the front follower and one of the yoke abutment surfaces 55 at its outer end 34, after which the ram 78 is retracted to release the draft gear. The yoke and draft gear are then moved to the railroad car in question in any suitable manner, and lifted into place to dispose the draft gear and its front follower 50 between the front and rear stops or lugs of the car, after which the carrier iron is applied to hold the draft gear and yoke in place. The coupler wear plate, coupler, and draft key are then applied. The disposable wedges are crushed upon the first impact so that the draft gear expands into full seating engagement with the draft gear pocket front and rear lugs. Of course, device could be employed to hold the gear in its indicated compressed relation for application to the car, if so desired, with release then being effected by backing off ram 78.

The disposable wedges may be formed from a suitable type of wood, aluminum or other material that will not crush under the static force exerted by the draft gear but will crush when the first impact is occasioned.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION The base 62 of frame 60 is preferably made from some suitable metallic substance in the form of a unitary casting comprising a web structure 100 between spaced side flanges 102 and 104 that define the basic channel shaped configuration of the base 62. At the end 66 of the base 62, the web 100 and flanges 102 and 104 make a 90 bend to form the fixed arm 64, in the illustrated embodiment.

At the end 70 of the base 62, flanges 102 and 104 project beyond the end 106 of the web 104 to form extensions 108 and 110 which are suitably apertured as at 112 and 114, respectively, to receive the pin 76 on which the arm 68 is journaled. The respective ends 116 and 118 of the pin 76 are, in the form illustrated, suitably recessed to frictionally receive keeper pins 120 and 122, respectively, that prevent dislodgement of the pin 76; however, it is apparent that other suitable retainer devices, such as lock rings, etc., may be employed for this purpose.

Below the web 100, base 62 is formed with an upper cross wall 124 and a lower cross wall 126 which extend longitudinally of the base and are connected by a cross wall 128 that forms the seat 130 against which the ram 78 acts in actuating swing arm 68 to compress the draft gear. Cross walls 124, 126, and 128 and side flanges 102 and 104 define a receptacle 132 in which the ram 78 is placed. Wall 128 is suitably reinforced by flange 134 extending between the cross walls 124 and 126. Side flanges 102 and 104 are joined together by cross wall 136 at a point intermediate the wall and the fixed arm 64.

The ram 78 may take any form of suitable hydrauli cally actuated device, that shown comprising a cylinder casing 82 that reciprocably mounts ram member 80 that is equipped with a suitable piston head 140 arranged for suitable sealed relationship with the cylinder casing wall 142. Casing or cylinder 82 as illustrated is of two piece form, including a casing wall structure 144 suitably apcrtured as 146 to accommodate the ram head and having its base end 148 closed by a base plate 150 screwed in place and suitably sealed against leakage. Thus, in the particular arrangement illustrated, it is the casing or cylinder 82 that moves with respect to the base 64, with a wear plate 151 suitably affixed to cylinder engaging the end 74 of arm 68 for purposes of contracting the draft gear in accordance with this invention, but the position of the ram 78 may be reversed, if so desired.

As previously indicated, swing arm 68 is preferably mounted such that it provides a mechanical advantage for ram 78 to work through in acting to contract the draft gear. In accordance with a commercial embodiment of the invention, the dimensions A and B of FIG. 3 have a ratio of 5 to 8, which permits the use of a commercially available 50 ton ram as ram device 78. Such an arrangement will provide up to about 160,000 pounds pressure for contracting the draft gear.

The ram unit 78 employed may be hydraulically actuated in any suitable manner, with the casing 82 being shown provided with a suitable fitting structure 152 and tubular connection 154 passing through one of the slots 156 or 158 provided in the respective side flanges 102 and 104 for this purpose. Fitting 152 may be connected to a suitable hand operated or motor driven source of hydraulic liquid under pressure. In the illustrated embodiment when the device 10 is to be freed from the draft gear yoke assembly, the hydraulic pressure on the ram is released in some suitable conventional manner so that ram member may be pressed by hand to its contracted relation of FIG. 3. However, ram device 78 may be double acting in nature if so desired.

However, other types of ram or jack devices for applying the indicated force to swing arm 68 may be employed, as desired, with the seating or mounting arrangement therefore being provided as necessary or desirable.

While the rigid arrangement of fixed arm 64 is preferred, arm 64 could, of course, be formed by a pivoted member suitably braced in its operative position of FIG. 3 to resist the forces that will be applied against While the device 10 has been shown employed for use in connection with yokes for E type couplers, it may readily be employed in a similar manner in connection with yokes for F type couplers since the outer ends of yokes of this type are open to receive the knuckle end of the type F coupler shank, and once the coupler and its keying pivot pin are removed, the device 10 can be readily applied to a draft gear yoke assembly of this type. It may be necessary in some instances, however, to burn off with a torch a portion of the forward end of yokes of this type to insure that the device 10 is applied firmly in place against the underside of the yoke. Since it is assumed that the yoke in question is already defective in some manner, as by having a crack 54, any excisement of the yoke that might be indicated is of no moment.

In a commercial embodiment the stroke of the ram is about 2 inches.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a device for use in preparing a draft rigging for removal from or insertion into a draft pocket of a railroad car, wherein the rigging is adapted to be mounted in associated car framing and comprises a draft gear and a yoke encircling said draft gear, with the yoke including a closed rear end abutting the inner end of the draft gear, a forward open end into which the car coupler shank extends in its operative position for keying to the yoke and for cooperation with a front follower received between the draft gear outer end and the yoke open end, and a pair of spaced apart parallel straps connecting said yoke ends, said device being applicable to the rigging when the latter is free of its coupler and the car carrier iron supporting the rigging, and comprising:

a frame including a rigid elongate base portion,

a pair of arms upstanding from said base portion in spaced apart coplanar relation and defining upstanding ends spaced to receive between them the rigging draft gear, yoke, and front follower in the assembled relation thereof, with one of said arms engaging the yoke closed end on the exterior side of same, and the other of said arms disposed adjacent and in front of the yoke open end, and said base portion paralleling the yoke straps,

said one arm being fixed against movement relative to said frame base portion,

said ends of said arms and said base portion being in coplanar relation,

said other arm being mounted intermediate its ends for swinging movement 'of its upstanding end about an axis extending substantially normally of the plane of said arms,

force applying means carried by said frame for applying force to said other arm to swing the upstanding end thereof toward said one am,

said base portion defining an upper surface formed between said arms for closely receiving the yoke therebetween,

said other arm axis being adjacent the level of said base portion surface,

said base portion being of generally channelshaped in transverse cross-sectional configuration including a web, that defines said surface, and spaced flanges projecting oppositely of said upstanding ends of said arms,

said base portion including adjacent the other end of said other arm and underlying said web and between said flanges a receptacle structure opening in the direction of said other arm other end,

and including a hydraulic ram mechanism seated in said receptacle structure for engagement with said other arm other end and acting in a direction substantially paralleling said base portion surface, with said ram mechanism comprising said force applying means,

and means for actuating said ram mechanism from a position remote from said ram mechanism, including a source of hydraulic pressure liquid connected to said ram mechanism,

said other arm being mounted to provide a mechanical advantage through which said force applying means acts, and being formed to project into operative relation with the open end of the yoke, free ofinterference with car framing when the draft rigging is supported by the car framing and said device is positioned to receive the draft rigging be tween said ends of said arms,

whereby, when said device frame is positioned relative to the rigging to dispose said base portion surface adjacent the yoke with the yoke and draft gear between said arms and with said one arm upstanding end abutting the exterior of the yoke closed end and said other arm upstanding end adjacent and aligned with the yoke open end, and with block means interposed between said other arm upstanding end and the front follower at the yoke open end, said force applying means may be actuated to apply force to said other arm to compress the draft gear between the block means and the yoke closed end whereby the closed end of the yoke is utilized to compress the draft gear to the exclusion of the remainder of the yoke.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said other arm is mounted to provide the mechanical advantage in the ratio of approximately 8 to 5 through which said ram mechanism acts on the block means to contract the draft gear,

said ram mechanism having a capacity on the order of 50 tons. 

1. In a device for use in preparing a draft rigging for removal from or insertion into a draft pocket of a railroad car, wherein the rigging is adapted to be mounted in associated car framing and comprises a draft gear and a yoke encircling said draft gear, with the yoke including a closed rear end abutting the inner end of the draft gear, a forward open end into which the car coupler shank extends in its operative position for keying to the yoke and for cooperation with a front follower received between the draft gear outer end and the yoke open end, and a pair of spaced apart parallel straps connecting said yoke ends, said device being applicable to the rigging when the latter is free of its coupler and the car carrier iron supporting the rigging, and comprising: a frame including a rigid elongate base portion, a pair of arms upstanding from said base portion in spaced apart coplanar relation and defining upstanding ends spaced to receive between them the rigging draft gear, yoke, and front follower in the assembled relation thereof, with one of said arms engaging the yoke closed end on the exterior side of same, and the other of said arms disposed adjacent and in front of the yoke open end, and said base portion paralleling the yoke straps, said one arm being fixed against movement relative to said frame base portion, said ends of said arms and said base portion being in coplanar relation, said other arm being mounted intermediate its ends for swinging movement of its upstanding end about an axis extending substantially normally of the plane of said arms, force applying means carried by said frame for applying force to said other arm to swing the upstanding end thereof toward said one arm, said base portion defining an upper surface formed between said arms for closely receiving the yoke therebetween, said other arm axis being adjacent the level of said base portion surface, said base portion being of generally channelshaped in transverse cross-sectional configuration including a web, that defines said surface, and spaced flanges projecting oppositely of said upstanding ends of said arms, said base portion including adjacent the other end of said other arm and underlying said web and between said flanges a receptacle structure opening in the direction of said other arm other end, and including a hydraulic ram mechanism seated in said receptacle structure for engagement with said other arm other end and acting in a direction substanTially paralleling said base portion surface, with said ram mechanism comprising said force applying means, and means for actuating said ram mechanism from a position remote from said ram mechanism, including a source of hydraulic pressure liquid connected to said ram mechanism, said other arm being mounted to provide a mechanical advantage through which said force applying means acts, and being formed to project into operative relation with the open end of the yoke, free of interference with car framing when the draft rigging is supported by the car framing and said device is positioned to receive the draft rigging between said ends of said arms, whereby, when said device frame is positioned relative to the rigging to dispose said base portion surface adjacent the yoke with the yoke and draft gear between said arms and with said one arm upstanding end abutting the exterior of the yoke closed end and said other arm upstanding end adjacent and aligned with the yoke open end, and with block means interposed between said other arm upstanding end and the front follower at the yoke open end, said force applying means may be actuated to apply force to said other arm to compress the draft gear between the block means and the yoke closed end whereby the closed end of the yoke is utilized to compress the draft gear to the exclusion of the remainder of the yoke.
 2. The device set forth in claim 1 wherein: said other arm is mounted to provide the mechanical advantage in the ratio of approximately 8 to 5 through which said ram mechanism acts on the block means to contract the draft gear, said ram mechanism having a capacity on the order of 50 tons. 